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Together, let's embark on a
lifelong journey to enjoy,
understand, and protect birds and
the natural world

Video Transcript

[upbeat music] What bird is that? How much do they eat? Why are they so colorful? What's that bird doing? Curiosity gives rise to questions. Where do migratory birds go? What do birds tell us about our changing world? How can I help? Will they be here when I grow up? We are dedicated to finding answers together. Revealing how nature works. Linking a global community. Opening doors to the natural world. Transforming science into action. We are working together...to better understand our connections...to life on earth. [LOGO] The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, join us. [music resolves]

End of Transcript

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Photo credits: Wood Thrush by John Petruzzi/Macaulay Library with graphic by Sarah Serrousi; Tree Swallow by Marie Reed; Yellow Warbler courtesy of Bird Academy; birds on feeder by Bird Cams; Northern Cardinal by Bob Dunlap/Macaulay Library; Golden-fronted Woodpecker by Marcy Barbosa/BirdSpotter; three young birders courtesy of eBird; boy with ducks courtesy of CUBs; Calliope Hummingbird by Marya Moosman/Macaulay Library; children with binoculars by Susan Spear; students at Cornell Botanical Gardens by Justin Muir; young birders in woods courtesy of eBird; elephant by Scott Anger/Lost Bird Films; coffee beans in hand by Gustave Axelson; Great Philippine Eagle by Neil Rettig; Cornell Lab in fall by Dimitri Ponirakis; boardwalk in autumn by Tim Gallagher; girl with notebook courtesy of the Cornell Lab; composite of a hovering Green-breasted Mango by Jesús Antonio Moo Yam; aerial photos of burned landscape by Michael Sweeney; Purple Martins by Alex Eberts/Macaulay Library; Golden-cheeked Warbler by Bryan Calk/Macaulay Library.

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We believe in the power of birds to ignite discovery and inspire action. Join us on a lifelong journey to enjoy, understand, and protect birds and the natural world.

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Bird Sounds Spectacular : Morning Bird Song

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English & Spanish Narration

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Unite for Literacy provides free digital access to picture books, narrated in many languages. Literacy is at the core of a healthy community, so we unite with partners to enable all families to read with their young children.

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Singing NIGHTINGALE - the best BIRD SONG

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Check out this video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/_93G5ccc5g4

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Let's start today's Wonder of the Day with a joke. Okay, here it is: What do you call a bird that's afraid to fly in the rain?

Any ideas? That's right, it's a chicken! Ha! Of course, chickens don't spend much time flying anyway-rain or no rain. But rain does affect the flight habits of most birds.

Can birds fly in the rain? They can-but not very well. While it's not impossible for birds to fly in the rain, they usually choose not to. You may see birds fly short in poor weather to find something to eat, but most of them prefer to stay put.

Why does rain make it harder for birds to fly? You might imagine that moving through the air while being by raindrops would be pretty annoying. However, it's not the rain itself that makes flying difficult. Instead, birds are affected by the drop in air pressure that comes with most rainstorms.

When pressure drops, the air is less . There are fewer molecules, which makes it harder for birds to fly. Moving through the sky in areas of low air pressure takes a lot of energy. That's why you'll see more birds sitting on tree branches or even power lines during a storm.

If rain continues for some time, though, birds will have to brave the storm. Most birds need to eat several times a day, and they will fly short in the rain to find food. Luckily, their feathers are highly waterproof. Most water will roll off of their feathers, protecting the skin beneath. Many birds can also oil that they can spread over their feathers to further protect themselves from the rain.

Despite this protection, most birds don't like rain. In fact, a 2010 study found that it causes them a lot of . A team of researchers studied birds living in a Costa Rican rainforest. Through blood samples, they found that the birds had higher levels of a on rainy days.

That may not surprise you. After all, many animals feel stressed out during storms. Pet owners often find that rain and thunder make their animals nervous. Some animals respond to nature so strongly that they almost seem to predict the future!

Other birds don't seem to mind rain at all, though. Ducks, for example, are known to stay out in the rain and even play in puddles. That's how the saying "Lovely weather for the ducks" came to describe a rainy day. Birds have also been seen using a as a chance to bathe themselves. For those that live in hot, dry , rain also seems to be a welcome chance to cool off.

While birds prefer not to fly in the rain, it's not impossible for them to do so. Have you ever seen a bird flying through a ? More than likely, they were looking for something to eat. What do you like to do when it rains? Would you rather play in the rain or stay warm inside? If you're like most birds, you probably look for shelter!

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The skies are clear in Wonderopolis today, so FLY on in for a great Wonder of the Day!

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15 Most Amazing Nests In The Animal World!

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Artist and photographer Christian Spencer was standing on his verandah in Rio de Janeiro when he made an amazing discovery. When the black Jacobin hummingbird flew with the sun striking its open wings, a beautiful prism effect appeared. At that moment, it was as if its body was made of rainbows.

In 2011, Spencer recorded the bird's movements for a film called The Dance of Time. The movie went on to receive 10 international awards as well as three best film honors. But, that wasn't the end of the rainbow hummingbirds. Several years later, Spencer returned to the subject. "I decided to try and photograph the same phenomenon with my camera," he shares with My Modern Met. The resulting series is called Winged Prism, and for Spencer, the images reveal "a secret of nature that cannot be seen with our eyes."

Although Winged Prism seems too magical to be true, Spencer says that there wasn't any digital manipulation involved. "There is no special technique," he explains, "just diffraction of light through the wings of this special hummingbird." The awe-inspiring beauty it produces is what makes these images so special. "Nobody ever could have ever dreamed that this was a reality," he says. "I receive emails every day from people across the world touched by these images."

One image from Winged Prism is now available as a limited edition print from Spencer's website.

Artist and photographer Christian Spencer captured the awe-inspiring sight of the sun shining on a black Jacobin hummingbird's wings.

The result is a prism effect and makes it look as though the creature's body is made of rainbows.

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Christian Spencer.

Related Articles:

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Photographer Captures Natural Phenomenon That Transforms Hummingbird's Wings into Tiny Rainbows

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Artist and photographer Christian Spencer was standing on his verandah in Rio de Janeiro when he made an amazing discovery. When the black Jacobin hummingbird flew with the sun striking its open wings, a beautiful prism effect appeared. At that moment, it was as if its body was made of rainbows.

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Australian photographer Christian Spencer has lived within Brazil's Itatiaia National Park for nineteen years. The lush natural surroundings offer a multitude of photo opportunities ranging from pumpkin toadlets to false coral snakes. One of Spencer's most fascinating finds is the way that light diffracts through the wings of hummingbirds in flight, resulting in a rainbow of colors within the birds' feathers. The photographer has been following the petite birds for years, and his film recording of the phenomenon was included in his award-winning 2011 short film, The Dance of Time.

More recently, Spencer has returned to these full spectrum moments. Each image in the artist's hummingbird series captures sunlight filtering through the wings and tail of a black and white Jacobin hummingbird. Despite our age of post-production and photo manipulation, the images were not digitally manipulated; the visual phenomenon is naturally occurring.'WINGED PRISM' (below) won a prize at the Museum of Modern Art in Resende RJ Brazil, and is available as a fine art print on Spencer's website. You can follow along with Spencer's animal encounters and nature-inspired paintings on Instagram. (via My Modern Met)

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member and support independent arts publishing. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, help support our interview series, gain access to partner discounts, and much more. Join now!

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A Rainbow of Light Diffracts Through Hummingbird Wings in Photographs by Christian Spencer

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Australian photographer Christian Spencer has lived within Brazil's Itatiaia National Park for nineteen years. The lush natural surroundings offer a multitude of photo opportunities ranging from pumpkin toadlets to false coral snakes. One of Spencer's most fascinating finds is the way that light dif

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A small dainty bee-eater that is intensely green overall with a greenish-blue throat, a thin black throat band, and long central tail feathers. In flight, note the dark edge along the lower border of the wings. Juveniles are duller than adults and lack the long tail feathers. In some parts of its range, birds may have a rusty crown or a bright blue throat. Flies gracefully as it catches insects and other prey. Common in open woodlands, fields, farmlands, and around sparse human habitation. Some populations show seasonal movements. Calls are a series of gentle liquid trills.

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A small dainty bee-eater that is intensely green overall with a greenish-blue throat, a thin black throat band, and long central tail feathers. In flight, note the dark edge along the lower border of the wings. Juveniles are duller than adults and lack the long tail feathers.

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(US & Canada)

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The pileated woodpecker is one of the largest woodpecker species in North America and its look is unmistakable-a large black bird with white on each side of its neck and a red crest on its head. When it flies, white flashes are visible under its wings.

The sound of the pileated woodpecker's hammering carries a long distance through the woods where they live. They drum to attract mates and to establish the boundaries of their territory-warning other males away.

They use their beaks to peck and dig under bark to find carpenter ants, beetle larvae, and other insects and will often dig large, rectangular holes in trees to uncover their meals. Some holes are so big that they weaken small, young trees. The birds also strip pieces of bark from trees looking for food. Generally, however, pileated woodpeckers help keep a forest healthy by eating wood-boring insects.

A nesting pair of pileated woodpeckers usually makes a nesting hole in a large, older tree. During the day, both parents take turns incubating, or sitting on, the eggs to keep them warm. At night, only the male incubates the eggs. They generally lay four eggs at a time, which take about two weeks to hatch.

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The pileated woodpecker is one of the largest woodpecker species in North America and its look is unmistakable-a large black bird with white on each side of its neck and a red crest on its head. When it flies, white flashes are visible under its wings.

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(Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua)

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Spectacular motmot of tropical lowlands, mainly in drier areas. Favors dry forest and edge, semiopen areas with scattered trees, gardens. One of the more conspicuous motmots, especially in spring, when often perches on roadside wires and on open branches. Plumage distinctive, with turquoise brow, turquoise-blue wings and tail with big rackets. Nests colonially at cenotes (sacred wells) in some Maya ruins of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico; motmot nests are burrows dug in banks, like a kingfisher.

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Spectacular motmot of tropical lowlands, mainly in drier areas. Favors dry forest and edge, semiopen areas with scattered trees, gardens. One of the more conspicuous motmots, especially in spring, when often perches on roadside wires and on open branches. Plumage distinctive, with turquoise brow, turquoise-blue wings and tail with big rackets.

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Birds are warm-blooded vertebrates (vertebrates have backbones) and are the only animals with feathers. Although all birds have wings, a few species can’t fly.

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Baby hummingbirds life cycle from start to finish. Must see! Awesome!

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Weird & Wonderful Dancing Birds Compilation (Part 1)

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Learn about Siberian Grouse: explore photos, sounds, and observations collected by birders around the world.

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A candy-red bill, curving white head stripe, and lacey black-and-white striping make this a unique and attractive species. Found only in and around the Yanbaru Forest on Okinawa Island, where it forages on the forest floor, often in pairs or small flocks. Most frequently seen as it crosses roads, trails, and clearings. Gives a variety of different calls, typically given during dusk, dawn, or nighttime hours. All are somewhat terrifying, a medley of shrill yelps, high-pitched squeals, and a laughter-like clattering.

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A candy-red bill, curving white head stripe, and lacey black-and-white striping make this a unique and attractive species. Found only in and around the Yanbaru Forest on Okinawa Island, where it forages on the forest floor, often in pairs or small flocks. Most frequently seen as it crosses roads, trails, and clearings.

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https://ebird.org/species/resque1/

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The NORTHERN CARDINAL | 10 FACTS about them

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This is definitely for the birds! Our feathered friends come in lots of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Take a gander at the photo gallery below to see some of the weirdest winged creatures ever caught on camera!

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This is definitely for the birds! Our feathered friends come in lots of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Take a gander at the photo gallery below to see some of the weirdest winged creatures ever caught on camera!

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BIRDS Names and Sounds - Learn Bird Species in English

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We were hanging out on the Wonderopolis the other day when we an interesting conversation between a seagull and a pelican:

Seagull: Hey Pete! What are you doing?

Pelican: Howdy Steve! I was just watching Frank the flamingo fishing over there.

Seagull: He must not be catching many .

Pelican: Why do you say that?

Seagull: Look at his face. It's pink! He must be embarrassed to be such a bad fisher.

Pelican: Actually, he's pink because he's a really good fisher! Although he's not necessarily catching ...

Seagull: How so?

Pelican: Let me explain...

The pelican went on to explain why flamingos are pink to the seagull. We'll what we learned for you here.

With pink and orange that seems -inspired, flamingos are some of the best dressed birds in the world. They weren't born that way, though! Baby flamingos are actually born with gray feathers.

Their distinctive pink color develops over time thanks to their selective . What do flamingos eat? A flamingo's primarily consists of aquatic organisms - such as and - high in pigments called carotenoids.

Carotenoids are the same pigments that cause to turn from gray to pink when they're boiled. Carotenoids are essential to maintaining the flamingo's signature color. If a flamingo were to adopt a meal plan similar to other birds who feast on insects, seeds, or berries, its feathers would eventually become white or a faded pale pink.

Though may not be at the top of your family's grocery list, humans also eat foods rich in carotenoids. These pigments are responsible for many of the red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables that we love, including carrots, apricots, squash, mangoes, and sweet potatoes. Thanks to a varied and balanced , however, we can enjoy these carotenoid-filled foods without having to worry that our skin will change color overnight.

NGSS.LS1.A, NGSS.LS1.C, CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.W.3, CCRA.L.1, CCRA.L.2

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We were hanging out on the Wonderopolis the other day when we an interesting conversation between a seagull and a pelican: Seagull: Hey Pete! What are you doing? Pelican: Howdy Steve! I was just watching Frank the flamingo fishing over there. Seagull: He must not be catching many .

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We were hanging out on the Wonderopolis the other day when we an interesting conversation between a seagull and a pelican:

Seagull: Hey Pete! What are you doing?

Pelican: Howdy Steve! I was just watching Frank the flamingo fishing over there.

Seagull: He must not be catching many .

Pelican: Why do you say that?

Seagull: Look at his face. It's pink! He must be embarrassed to be such a bad fisher.

Pelican: Actually, he's pink because he's a really good fisher! Although he's not necessarily catching ...

Seagull: How so?

Pelican: Let me explain...

The pelican went on to explain why flamingos are pink to the seagull. We'll what we learned for you here.

With pink and orange that seems -inspired, flamingos are some of the best dressed birds in the world. They weren't born that way, though! Baby flamingos are actually born with gray feathers.

Their distinctive pink color develops over time thanks to their selective . What do flamingos eat? A flamingo's primarily consists of aquatic organisms - such as and - high in pigments called carotenoids.

Carotenoids are the same pigments that cause to turn from gray to pink when they're boiled. Carotenoids are essential to maintaining the flamingo's signature color. If a flamingo were to adopt a meal plan similar to other birds who feast on insects, seeds, or berries, its feathers would eventually become white or a faded pale pink.

Though may not be at the top of your family's grocery list, humans also eat foods rich in carotenoids. These pigments are responsible for many of the red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables that we love, including carrots, apricots, squash, mangoes, and sweet potatoes. Thanks to a varied and balanced , however, we can enjoy these carotenoid-filled foods without having to worry that our skin will change color overnight.

NGSS.LS1.A, NGSS.LS1.C, CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.W.3, CCRA.L.1, CCRA.L.2

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We were hanging out on the Wonderopolis the other day when we an interesting conversation between a seagull and a pelican: Seagull: Hey Pete! What are you doing? Pelican: Howdy Steve! I was just watching Frank the flamingo fishing over there. Seagull: He must not be catching many .

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Birdwatching with Theodore Roosevelt | AMNH

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Green Bee-Eater

The green bee-eater (also known as the little green bee-eater) is a small species of bee-eater bird found throughout parts of Africa and Asia. The green bee-eater is one of 26 species of bee-eater, a group of birds that a primarily found throughout Africa and in parts of Asia and the Middle East.

The green bee-eater is found on grasslands and in open forests on both the African and Asian continents, and is widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal and Gambia to Ethiopia, the Nile valley, western Arabia and Asia, from India to Vietnam. In Asia, the green bee-eater is usually seen on the lowland plains but these colourful litter birds can sometimes be found up to 6000 feet in the Himalayas.

The green bee-eater is a small sized bird, rarely growing to more than 18cm in length. The green bee-eater is an easily distinguishable bird due to its bright green plumage and attractive long tail-feathers. The green bee-eater also has a long, but sharp and narrow black beak which is perfectly designed for catching flying insects.

The green bee-eater is known to be a slow starter in the mornings and may be found huddled next to one another with their bills tucked in their backs well after sunrise. The green bee-eater is also known to sand-bathe more frequently than other bee-eater species and will sometimes bathe in water by dipping into water in flight. Green bee-eaters are usually seen in small groups and often roost communally in large numbers of up to 300 birds.

Like other bee-eater species, the green bee-eater primarily feeds on insects. More than 80% of the green bee-eater's diet is comprised of honeybees and the rest is mainly made up of other bee species along with numerous species of flying insect. The green bee-eater is an omnivorous animal and will also eat fruits and berries along with ground-dwelling insects when it needs to supplement its diet.

Due to the small size and colourful appearance of the green bee-eater it is a target for numerous predators across its natural range. Larger birds of prey are the primary predators of the green bee-eater along with smaller mammals and reptiles that prey on both the birds and their eggs.

Green bee-eaters nest between May and June in tunnels dug into the sandy banks. Females lay an average of 5 small, glossy, white eggs which are incubated for two weeks by both the breeding pair and others that have come to help. The green bee-eater chicks are cared for by their parents until they fledge (leave the nest) before they reach a month old.

Today, the green bee-eater is classified as a species that is in the least danger of immediate extinction in the wild. However, the decline in both their native habitat and bee population numbers around the world could have devastating consequences for this plucky little bird.

View all 41 animals that start with G.

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The green bee-eater (also known as the little green bee-eater) is a small species of bee-eater bird found throughout parts of Africa and Asia. The green bee-eater is one of 26 species of bee-eater, a group of birds that a primarily found throughout Africa...

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Unite for Literacy provides free digital access to picture books, narrated in many languages. Literacy is at the core of a healthy community, so we unite with partners to enable all families to read with their young children.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We were hanging out on the Wonderopolis the other day when we an interesting conversation between a seagull and a pelican:

Seagull: Hey Pete! What are you doing?

Pelican: Howdy Steve! I was just watching Frank the flamingo fishing over there.

Seagull: He must not be catching many .

Pelican: Why do you say that?

Seagull: Look at his face. It's pink! He must be embarrassed to be such a bad fisher.

Pelican: Actually, he's pink because he's a really good fisher! Although he's not necessarily catching ...

Seagull: How so?

Pelican: Let me explain...

The pelican went on to explain why flamingos are pink to the seagull. We'll what we learned for you here.

With pink and orange that seems -inspired, flamingos are some of the best dressed birds in the world. They weren't born that way, though! Baby flamingos are actually born with gray feathers.

Their distinctive pink color develops over time thanks to their selective . What do flamingos eat? A flamingo's primarily consists of aquatic organisms - such as and - high in pigments called carotenoids.

Carotenoids are the same pigments that cause to turn from gray to pink when they're boiled. Carotenoids are essential to maintaining the flamingo's signature color. If a flamingo were to adopt a meal plan similar to other birds who feast on insects, seeds, or berries, its feathers would eventually become white or a faded pale pink.

Though may not be at the top of your family's grocery list, humans also eat foods rich in carotenoids. These pigments are responsible for many of the red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables that we love, including carrots, apricots, squash, mangoes, and sweet potatoes. Thanks to a varied and balanced , however, we can enjoy these carotenoid-filled foods without having to worry that our skin will change color overnight.

NGSS.LS1.A, NGSS.LS1.C, CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.W.3, CCRA.L.1, CCRA.L.2

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We were hanging out on the Wonderopolis the other day when we an interesting conversation between a seagull and a pelican: Seagull: Hey Pete! What are you doing? Pelican: Howdy Steve! I was just watching Frank the flamingo fishing over there. Seagull: He must not be catching many .

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How the world's most dangerous bird got its unique feathers

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the cassowary bird: how the world's most dangerous bird got its unique feathers - cnn

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How the world's most dangerous bird got its unique feathers

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It's been called the world's most dangerous bird. The cassowary's long dagger-like middle toes were responsible for the death of a man in Florida last year, and new research now shows that its glossy feathers are unlike those of other iridescent birds.

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A woman with the right training noticed a bird's odd behavior and made it her mission to undertake a very urban rescue.

A swan, rescued at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, riding the A train. Credit... Ariel Cordova-Rojas

Ariel Cordova-Rojas had planned to spend last Thursday afternoon immersed in nature. It was the day before her 30th birthday, and her intention was to ride her bike to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, watch birds fly overhead and hike amid the vibrant fall foliage.

Instead, she spent a good chunk of the day in a frantic race to rescue a sickly swan, rushing by foot and then subway from Queens to Brooklyn before ultimately arriving at an animal rehabilitation center on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

She was not upset that the day had not gone according to plan.

"If there's an animal in need," she said, "I'm going to do whatever I can."

Ms. Cordova-Rojas had not been at the refuge long when she encountered a female mute swan that looked as though it might be sick. The bird caught her attention because it was sitting alone on some grass near the water's edge, surrounded by other birds on the water.

Ms. Cordova-Rojas had been trained to spot a bird in distress. She spent five years as an animal care manager at the Wild Bird Fund rehabilitation center in Manhattan, rescuing geese in Central Park, red-tailed hawks in Brooklyn and other species elsewhere in the city.

So when the swan did not move or make a sound when she approached, she knew something was not right. Mute swans are typically territorial and aggressive. As she got closer, the bird tried to drag its body forward with its wings in a feeble bid to swim off.

There was "obviously something wrong" with the swan, Ms. Cordova-Rojas said. Despite her background, she was unsure what to do. She had her bike but not her rescue gear, and she was around an hour's drive from the Wild Bird Fund center.

Image

"Well, I'm carrying a swan," Ms. Cordova-Rojas recalls thinking. "I have no idea what to do. I guess I'm just going to walk." Credit... Josh Spector

She decided to approach the swan slowly, take off her jacket and place it over the bird. The swan tried to move its wings and it made faint sounds, but Ms. Cordova-Rojas said she was able to wrap the coat around the animal quickly and pick it up.

"Well, I'm carrying a swan," she recalled thinking. "I have no idea what to do. I guess I'm just going to walk."

The one-mile hike back to where she had left her bike "was a bit of a struggle," she said, especially carrying an animal that later weighed in at around 17 pounds.

Josh Spector was also at the refuge, having traveled there from the Park Slope section of Brooklyn earlier in the day. He said he was immediately confused when he saw Ms. Cordova-Rojas with the swan.

"Is this actually her pet and she's walking it through here?" he recalled thinking. He said that he and a friend had considered shrugging off the scene "as another crazy New York thing, but decided not to."

Mr. Spector said he had struck up a conversation with Ms. Cordova-Rojas and had taken some pictures of her and the swan, but could not offer much help because he had also biked to the refuge.

After making it back to her bike, Ms. Cordova-Rojas said she called various animal rescue services without any luck. The ranger stations in the park were closed, and an animal care center in Brooklyn was unable to send anyone out.

Help arrived after about a half-hour in the form of a husband and wife who offered to drive the swan to the subway. When Ms. Cordova-Rojas, the swan and the bicycle could not all fit in the couple's car, the woman, who happened to volunteer rescuing cats, persuaded a friend to drive over and help.

They all drove to the Howard Beach subway station, where the husband, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority employee, helped Ms. Cordova-Rojas lug her bike and the swan to the platform and then onto the A train.

Ms. Cordova-Rojas placed the swan, still wrapped in the coat, at the end of a long seat. She called friends and former colleagues at the Wild Bird Fund and asked that they meet her.

"Meanwhile, there's a few people on the train and nobody seems to be fazed," she said. One man, she added, was "sitting right in front of me and he's just on his phone. I don't even know if he noticed there was a swan in front of him."

Tristan Higginbotham, an animal care manager at the Wild Bird Fund, met Ms. Cordova-Rojas at the Nostrand Avenue station in Brooklyn. Ms. Higginbotham, too, was unfazed by the sight of Ms. Cordova-Rojas holding the swan in her left hand while propping up a bike with her right.

"That's just like the perfect summary of who she is," Ms. Higginbotham said.

Two car rides later, the swan and Ms. Cordova-Rojas reached the Wild Bird Fund. Staff members there determined that it was a bit underweight; tests also found signs of lead poisoning, which can happen when swans ingest weights used on fishing lines, among other things.

On Tuesday, the bird was undergoing treatment and would be reassessed in a few weeks, Ms. Higginbotham said.

Ms. Higginbotham said that the New York City Audubon Society, where she volunteers, had received reports recently about a sick mute swan at the refuge, but staff members had not been able to find it.

Mute swans are not native to North America. They were introduced to the northeastern United States from Western Europe in the 19th century as pets and as decorations for parks and ponds.

As an invasive species, the mute swan has stirred debate in New York. In 2014, state conservation officials set a goal of eliminating virtually all of the birds within 11 years, largely because they are known to destroy the habitats of native ducks and geese and can pose a risk to passenger jets. But the proposal attracted strong opposition, and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ultimately signed legislation blocking it.

Ms. Cordova-Rojas was happy to rescue one swan.

"That was kind of the perfect culmination of my 20s," she said. "It was the perfect birthday present to be in nature and be able to save a life."

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A woman with the right training noticed a bird's odd behavior and made it her mission to undertake a very urban rescue. Ariel Cordova-Rojas had planned to spend last Thursday afternoon immersed in nature.

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eBird - Discover a new world of birding...

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eBird transforms your bird sightings into science and conservation. Plan trips, find birds, track your lists, explore range maps and bird migration—all free.